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| |  Androstenedione Use May Increase Testosterone And Estrogen Levels CHICAGO, IL -- February 8, 2000 -- When taken in doses of 300 mg per day, androstenedione (andro), a steroid hormone purported to increase strength and athletic performance, increases testosterone and estradiol (an estrogen hormone) levels in the bloodstream, according to an article in the February 9 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Benjamin Z. Leder, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and colleagues conducted a study of 42 healthy men aged 20 to 40 years old to determine if androstenedione taken orally raises testosterone levels. Thirteen of the 42 men received no androstenedione. Fifteen took 100 mg a day for seven days, and 14 were given 300 mg a day for seven days. Hormone levels in the blood were tested before, during, and after the experiment. All together, the group of men who took 300 mg per day had an average 34 percent increase in testosterone levels on the seventh day of the study when compared to their baseline levels taken before the study began. There was a 128 percent increase in estradiol levels. In addition, the study showed an increase in estrone (another estrogen hormone) among those taking andro. Study participants taking 100 mg. per day showed some increases in estradiol levels but not testosterone levels. The authors say the increases were not statistically significant. They write: "Even though no significant adverse effects of androstenedione were observed in our short-term study, long-term administration could be hazardous, particularly in women or children. We conclude that orally administered androstenedione increases serum testosterone and estrogen levels in healthy men, particularly at higher doses. These increases could lead to anabolic or untoward effects in susceptible populations. Long-term studies of androstenedione use are needed." According to the authors, previous studies have indicated that oral administration of a testosterone derivative has been associated with liver abnormalities. Other studies have found that anabolic steroid use has also been associated with adverse effects on lipid levels and cardiac events. They write that in men, increases in serum estrogen concentrations might have feminizing effects, such as enlargement of breasts. "Because many users probably take much higher and more frequent dosages of androstenedione, it is likely that some individuals may experience sustained and larger increases in testosterone levels compared with those observed in the present study," the authors write. The study only looked at hormone levels in the bloodstream. The authors suggest that increases in testosterone, estrone, or estradiol levels found in tissue may be even greater than the increases found in the bloodstream. According to background information in the study, androstendione is currently available without a prescription and marketed primarily to athletes and bodybuilders. The number of people regularly using androstenedione is not known. It has been estimated that 4.9 percent of male and 2.4 percent of female adolescents in the United States have used illegal androgenic/anabolic steroids. Because androstenedione is readily available as a dietary supplement, its use may be even greater. Related Link: The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
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